


A Comedy of Romance

by TBCat



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Fluff and Humor, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-27
Updated: 2019-01-27
Packaged: 2019-10-17 10:09:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,680
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17558393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TBCat/pseuds/TBCat
Summary: Kim Mingyu is a rookie actor who is very hopeful when he lands a starring role in a comedy-skit show with rising comedian Boo Seungkwan.





	A Comedy of Romance

**Author's Note:**

> I'm just getting a feel for the SVT characters still, and then this plot-bunny attacked me. 
> 
> (Also, I have a weakness for multi-shipping rare-pairs.)
> 
> Disclaimer: This is RPF. Please be aware that this is not representative of real people, but rather based on celebrity/stage-personae. 
> 
> Because the setting is a Korean culture, but the language I am writing in is language, I was very purposeful in how I tried to represent the culture accurately without interfereing with reading flow. This specifically refers to language conventions, but I also considered Korean humor conventions, etc.

They don’t meet until the first day of shooting, which is not ideal, but Mingyu can put up with it for the opportunity. His agent said that this show will jumpstart Mingyu’s career. Mingyu trusts his agent, even if it doesn’t make sense to Mingyu that a basic skit show will be enough to jumpstart his career as an actor. Mingyu thought his career was going to involve serious dramas or action movies. Maybe the occasional commercial or small recurring part to make ends meet. 

Mingyu has done plenty of commercials, and small recurring parts to make ends meet. It's been several years now since Mingyu moved to the city to “make it big”, but Mingyu reminds himself that he is at least supporting himself as an actor. Mingyu is making it, even if he isn’t big yet. 

This show. This show, though, Mingyu really wants to be everything that his agent Joshua promised. Mingyu gnaws on a celery stick and avoids the untouched basket of muffins on the snack table. This is a new comedy sketch show, but Joshua promised that the program was in the process of being picked up by a major network and that his co-star is an upcoming comedy genius. 

A carrot crunches from behind Mingyu. “What’s up, Doc?” a deep voice asks. Mingyu spins around and trips on his new dress shoes. He slams his hip on the table to catch himself instead of falling all the way to the floor. Mingyu’s celery stick falls to the floor. Mingyu pouts at the loss of the single snack his diet allows and tries to glare at the man who scared him. 

Boo Seungkwan is laughing at Mingyu with a mouth of half-chewed carrot stick. Boo Seungkwan, recent winner of the Rookie Variety Star Award, is laughing at Mingyu. It feels weird to try and aim his pout downward, and Mingyu is rather intimidated by Seungkwan anyway. Hopefully, Boo Seungkwan is the guest performer today, and not Mingyu’s future costar. Mingyu grabs his celery stick off the floor to wipe with a spare napkin while Boo is still distracted laughing.

“Uh,” Mingyu says, “It's nice to meet you.” Mingyu has a much harder time talking in front of real people than a camera. “I’m Kim Mingyu,” he says. Boo finishes his carrot slowly and looks Mingyu up and down. Mingyu wonders if he’s being looked down on, which doesn’t make sense when he is definitely taller than Boo Seungkwan. 

“I know,” Boo Seungkwan says, “It's nice to meet you too, though.” Boo Seungkwan even gives a polite bow as he greets himself. “I’m Boo Seungkwan, but just call me Seungkwan,” he says, “we’re co-stars now.” Mingyu feels a chill down the back of his neck that definitely ruins his enjoyment of the end of his celery stick. 

“Call me Mingyu, then,” he says, hesitantly. 

Shooting goes perfectly, and it's the worst workday of Mingyu's life. Seungkwan is hilarious, and Director Lee tells Mingyu that he played the perfect straight man to Seungkwan's jokes. Mingyu is worried that he isn't going to be noticed by the viewers beside Seungkwan's brilliance. 

“So, Mingyu,” Seungkwan interrupts Mingyu’s brooding while he wipes off his makeup in their shared dressing room. Seungkwan hasn't bothered to remove the blue eyeshadow the makeup artist gave him. “Do you want to go grab dinner together?” Seungkwan is leaning against the counter next to Mingyu's chair. Seungkwan’s leg keeps bouncing up and down; Mingyu can feel it bouncing against the side of his chair. Seungkwan's rookie award was a big surprise in the business, because he started acting later in the year. He might be just as nervous as Mingyu. 

“Uh, yes,” Mingyu agrees with his picture-smile, “sure, that sounds great.” Mingyu hastily finishes wiping the smears of stage makeup off his face. Seungkwan is waiting with Mingyu's coat, and helps him put it on with a dramatic flourish. Mingyu plays along smoothly until he can laugh into his sleeve. Seungkwan smiles proudly.

“What do you want to eat?” Seungkwan asks. Mingyu tries to answer and push the door out of the studio at the same time, but the door is stuck. Seungkwan slides his arm under Mingyu’s elbow. “It says ‘Pull’,” he says brightly. Mingyu flushes bright red. 

“I’m on a diet,” Mingyu says, “do you know any healthy-ish places nearby?” He lets Seungkwan take the lead. 

“Um, there’s a vegan place around the corner?”

“Maybe not that healthy.”

* * *

 

Their show is popular! Their show is popular, and multiple celebrities are being scheduled to guest in their comedy skits. Mingyu feels elated and skips from the dressing rooms to makeup. He’s dressing as an emperor for the central skit of this episode. 

Mingyu sits on the fake throne pillows placed by set design and tries to look aristocratic. He memorized his lines last night with Joshua, but the show-writers leave room for improvisation from him and Seungkwan, anyway. 

There’s an obnoxiously over the top ‘knock’ off camera, and Mingyu bids them enter in his most dramatic Emperor voice. Seungkwan stumbles in with a flutter of a dramatically tailored gwanbok costume. “My wonderful, amazing, spectacular, never-before-done, spit-it-out-blend-it-and-eat-it-again, beautiful, fantastic GoOoOoOoD,” Seungkwan wails as he kneels on the ground. Mingyu keeps his face straight and looks to the side. 

“We,” Mingyu pauses between each word and brushes imaginary dust off the many layered, colorful robes he wears, “hear. You… lowly one.”

Seungkwan pretends to sob into the fabric of his costume. “OhHhHhhHHh! You honor me!” he says. 

“I do,” Mingyu drawls. 

Seungkwan rises to standing and stumbles to the side of the camera’s view. “I wished to inform your amazingness-est of courtiers that have come to visit,” Seungkwan says with obnoxiously exaggerated body language. “The fabulous, handsome, almost-as-striking-as-you, Lord Jeon Wonwoo and The gorgeous, visually-renowned, almost-approaching-your-holiness, angelic, Lord Yoon Jeonghan!”

The lights suddenly turn off before disco music and strobe lights fill the set. Seungkwan surreptitiously slides to sit on his knees to the side of Mingyu as popular models Yoon Jeonghan and Jeon Wonwoo pretend to perform a fashion show into the skit. They are incredible, and Mingyu flushes self-consciously at the way they make the cheap dynasty costumes look like actual formal wear. Seungkwan wiggles his eyebrows at Mingyu while the camera is focused off of them, and Mingyu smiles in acknowledgement. He quickly gets back into character. 

The practical effects end as Wonwoo and Jeonghan kneel at Mingyu’s feet. According to the script, an introduction lauding the guests’ different accomplishments in the domestic modeling scene will be added at this point during editing. While filming the skit, they’re gonna try and act through the entire script in one take and see what parts might need to be refilmed.

Mingyu fantasizes about the show becoming big enough to have a small, live studio audience during filming days. He knows that Seungkwan wants to pitch some audience-interaction skits to the writers and Director Lee. 

“Emperor Kim,” Yoon says, “We have come to you for your wisdom!”

“Yes, it is true,” Jeon says, “we have a disagreement that we cannot solve on our own, and need your wisdom.” The two models dramatically stand and kneel in a full bow over and over again as the chant ‘wisdom’. Mingyu holds up a hand to stop them. 

“Of course,” he says, “I understand! For I am truly, so incredibibly, uhh.” Mingyu stands and poses hunched over towards Seungkwan. He loudly stage-whispers, “what’s the word for ‘not-dumb’?”

“Wise, my lord,” Seungkwan stage whispers in response. 

“Yes, of course I am,” Mingyu says, “but I need you to answer my question.” 

“No, my lord,” Seungkwan responds, “the word you want is ‘Wise’.”

“Don’t be so impertinent!” Mingyu says. He pretends to whack Seungkwan over the back of the head, and Seungkwan stage rolls forwards in response. Jeon and Yoon have shifted from kneeling to an exaggeratedly shaky plank. Mingyu clears his throat. “Yes, I am truly wise,” he says, “tell me your problem and I will fix it.” 

“Oh, Thank you!” Jeon and Yoon chorus. They stand and begin a sequence of exaggerated bows again. 

Jeon and Yoon sit on either side of Seungkwan and Mingyu to form a semi-circle facing the main camera. “We are neighbors, and we each own a herd of cattle,” Jeon begins describing. Yoon makes a pretend pair of horns and gallops across the stage while moo-ing. He then resumes sitting in an editorial lounge. 

“We found a young calf on the border of our lands,” Jeonghan continues the story, “and now we both want to claim the baby as our own.” Jeon does the acting this time, and pretends to be a baby rolling on the ground. “Please decide who owns the calf, Oh Mighty Emperor.”

“Hmm,” Mingyu says, “a calf. I have heard of these mysterious creatures. They make delicious soup, yes?”

The skit proceeds through a series of Jeon and Yoon physically acting out the other’s words and campaigning for ownership of the calf, while Mingyu acts as absurdly dumb as possible. Seungkwan alternates between providing full body physical responses to the scene and creating new absurd competitions for Jeon and Yoon to act out. At one point, Seungkwan improvises based on Jeon looking similar to Mingyu and confuses which actor is his emperor or the visitor. They end the scene with a casual barbeque scene, and break character to interview Jeon Wonwoo and Yoon Jeonghan.

* * *

 

They’re dressed as kindergarteners today. Mingyu and Seungkwan sit at their desk and listen to the teacher off-screen, before arguing and competing over who she likes more everytime the teacher ‘leaves’ the room. The director of photography, Kwon Soonyoung, is working the main camera today, and he keeps stifling giggles at Mingyu and Seungkwan’s fake slap fights and improvised dances. The skit ends with the teacher’s voice telling Mingyu and Seungkwan that she is spending the break with her husband and kids to their horrified, exaggerated, jealousy. 

“Good job,” Director Lee says succinctly as the cameras stop. He waves Mingyu and Seungkwan to their dressing room to change out of their costumes. Mingyu trips over a bundle of wires on set, and pretends he was just moving to lean on Seungkwan’s shoulders. Director Lee gives Mingyu a look but doesn’t call him out, so Mingyu thinks his suave reputation is still intact. “By the way, Boo, next week’s guest said he knew you; he’s waiting in the guest dressing room.” Director Lee says. 

Seungkwan acknowledges Director Lee and then keeps walking with Mingyu. He doesn’t try to move Mingyu’s arm, so Mingyu stays leaning on Seungkwan. 

“Eugh,” Seungkwan whines, “I hope I can change out of this costume before meeting whoever the guest is.” Mingyu laughs at Seungkwan and follows his pull in time to avoid bumping into the corner of the wall. 

“What,” Mingyu teases, “you don’t want your mystery friend to see you looking so adorable?”

“Shut up, Ming-uwu,” Seungkwan says. He rolls his eyes and smacks Mingyu in the gut when Mingyu laughs.

Standing in front of their dressing room door is a stranger who looks a little bit foreign, with beige-darkish-blonde hair, and a little bit shorter than Mingyu. Mingyu doesn’t recognize them, but he assumes their the mystery guest that Seungkwan knows. He looks down to ask Seungkwan.

“Vernonie!” Seungkwan shouts in surprised joy. He slips from under Mingyu’s arm and runs to greet the stranger. Mingyu frowns and stumbles. “Why are you here? I thought you were busy in America?” Seungkwan asks as he shares a hug with the stranger. 

“I’m the surprise guest,” the stranger says, “I’m opening a new studio in Gundam.”

“That’s so great! Vernonie, I can’t believe you surprised me like this!” Seungkwan is laughing brightly and hanging off of the strangers arm. They’re blocking the door to the dressing room, so Mingyu stands to the side awkwardly and pouts. 

Seungkwan spins around and pulls Vernon to face Mingyu. Mingyu straightens up and is glad to notice that he is taller than the stranger. “Kim Mingyu, this is my friend Choi Vernon Hansol. He’s a popular artist here and overseas,” Seungkwan explains. Mingyu offers his hand and bows politely at the introduction, “Vernonie, this is my co-star Kim Mingyu.” Choi politely exchanges greetings with Mingyu. 

“I recognize him,” Choi says, “but it's hard to recognize you in that cutesy get-up.” Seungkwan squeals and shoves Choi out of the doorway to the dressing room. He’s bright red. Mingyu thought that he was pretty good friends with Seungkwan after working together the past handful of months, but Seungkwan reacted cold in comparison when Mingyu teased him. 

“I’m ignoring that,” Seungkwan says to Choi, “and Mingyu and I are going to go change so we can all go out to eat together.” Choi wiggles his eyebrows at Seungkwan as Seungkwan pulls Mingyu into the dressing room and shoves the door on Choi’s face. 

“Sorry about that,” Seungkwan says. Mingyu isn’t sure if he wants to watch Choi and Seungkwan hang out more or not. He doesn’t seem to have a choice. “You didn’t have any other dinner plans, did you?”

Mingyu grabs his clean change of clothes and moves behind the changing curtain first. “Uh, no,” Mingyu says, “of course not.” He doesn’t want to see Seungkwan’s pout if he doesn’t agree. “We always go out to eat together after our good recordings, right?”

Mingyu moves out from behind the curtain so that Seungkwan can have a turn changing out of his costume and starts removing his stage makeup. They’ve established a good routine. “Awesome,” Seungkwan calls out excitedly, “I can’t wait for you and Vernon to become friends! Just, uh, ignore anything weird he says.”

Mingyu scowls into the mirror before he breathes out the negativity. He doesn’t want to be rude to Seungkwan’s crush. “No problem,” Mingyu says brightly. 

Seungkwan bounces out from behind the changing curtain wearing his nice jacket and new jeans. Mingyu remembers Seungkwan’s long spiel about how he got the outfit on sale and all the ways it made him look good. Mingyu thought that he must be dressing up for Choi Vernon. 

Mingyu stays silent to let Seungkwan catch up with Vernon as the walk down the street. Seungkwan stands between Mingyu and Vernon so that he can thread an arm around each of theirs. “Mingyu.” Mingyu guesses that Seungkwan must be leading them to the barbeque place that he and Seungkwan like to eat at together. “Mingyu!”

Mingyu feels a tug and tries to follow Seungkwan’s pull to the side. He doesn’t quite make it and slams his shoulder into a lamp pole. Mingyu stumbles over his feet and almost falls backwards. Seungkwan grips onto Mingyu’s arm to pull him up, while Vernon reaches an arm around to try and brace Mingyu’s shoulder. Mingyu stands and flushes bright red while he rubs his shoulder under his jean jacket. 

“Mingyu, are you ok?” Seungkwan asks. He pivots around to stand in front of Mingyu, and Mingyu obligingly pulls the shoulder of his jacket down for Seungkwan to check his shoulder. Seungkwan likes visual confirmation that Mingyu’s okay no matter how many times he crashes into something. 

“Just a bruise,” MIngyu says, “Sorry.” Seungkwan pokes Mingyu’s shoulder and frowns at Mingyu’s wince. Then, Seungkwan bursts into a cackle that he doesn’t even bother to hide. 

“Damn, bro, you were really out of it,” Choi comments from the side, “Kwannie called your name several times beforehand, too.” 

Mingyu fixes his jacket. “Sorry,” he says, “what’s up, Seungkwan?”

Seungkwan eyes Mingyu for a moment before grabbing his and Choi’s arms again. Mingyu is right; Seungkwan is leading them to their normal barbeque place. “Well, Vernon was saying that because he’s been in America and they don’t use honorifics there, he shouldn’t have to call me ‘hyung’. Which is, obviously, wrong,” Seungkwan says. 

Mingyu smiles at Seungkwan. “Obviously,” he says, “of course, it's not like you two use honorifics, anyway? You’re obviously close.” Seungkwan pushes Mingyu away with a pout, but does not unlink their arms. It just moves their entire group to the other side of the path. 

“Well,” Seungkwan says, “he should at least call you ‘hyung’. He’s the maknae of us three, you know.” 

“Oh, really?” Mingyu asks. 

Choi speaks up, “I’d be happy to call you ‘hyung’, if you want. You can call me ‘Vernon’ or ‘Hansol’, of course.” He even winks dramatically at Mingyu. Seungkwan shoves Vernon this time, and again the entire trio moves because Seungkwan doesn’t actually let go of anyone’s arms. 

“Uh,” Mingyu says, “Thank you.”

* * *

 

“So, by the end of the night we decided that one of the jokes we would throw into the skit would be how Americans use honorifics,” MIngyu says. He’s sprawled out on the couch with his head in Joshua’s lap. 

“We just watched the video, Mingyu,” Joshua interrupts, “And I actually grew up in America. I could infer that, if nothing else, from the accurate depiction of American culture.” 

Mingyu scowls. “Did you move from America to Korea and become my agent just to be mean to me?” he asks. 

Joshua tugs on Mingyu’s hair that he was gently scratching a moment ago. “I’m literally giving up my thursday night to cuddle you while you pout about being jealous,” Joshua says. Joshua is playing a game on his phone with his free hand at the same time, so Mingyu is pretty sure that Joshua isn’t actually giving up on any important plans. 

“Jealous! I don’t know what you mean?” Mingyu says. Joshua’s phone beeps as he reaches a new level. Mingyu hopes that he has time to catch up his score to Joshua’s tomorrow. 

“So,” Joshua says, “all this pouting isn’t because you think Boo Seungkwan likes Choi Vernon more than you?” He moves his hand off of Mingyu’s head to use both hands on a difficult part of his game. Mingyu stretches his arms to the ceiling and thinks about it. Even when its annoying, Joshua tends to be smarter than Mingyu. 

“Oh my god,” Mingyu says. He bolts into an upright position on the couch, and his head slams into Joshua’s arms and knocks the phone through the air. 

“My phone! My highscore!” Joshua shouts. 

“Oh my god!” Mingyu shouts back. He scrambles around to face Joshua. “I have a crush on Seungkwan!”

Joshua frowns at Mingyu and gets up to go rescue his phone off the floor. “No duh, ‘Gyu,” he says. 

“What do I do, hyung?” Mingyu whines. Joshua literally controls Mingyu’s life, both as a friend and his agent, and sometimes Mingyu wonders if that should worry him. 

“Well,” Joshua says distractedly. Joshua is kneeling on the ground and trying to reach his phone from where it slid under the entertainment center. “Normally, people ask out their crush,” he finally says. Joshua sneezes from the dust he disturbed in his search. 

“Ok,” Mingyu says with quiet determination. “Ok.”

* * *

 

The next time Mingyu sees Seungkwan, they record a scene about adultery. Mingyu doesn’t think it's very funny or romantic. He decides to wait to ask Seungkwan out for another week. 

The next skit they record; they pretend to be a customer and chef at a sushi restaurant. It's super fun to throw pretend and real seafood at each other. Mingyu doesn’t want to ask Seungkwan out while picking octopus out of his hair in the dressing room. 

The next week they pretend to be a new idol boy group. Seungkwan is an amazing singer. Mingyu leans into the lip-sync and visual aspect of idols. It's only a skit anyway, and Mingyu always enjoys when their normal roles of comedian and straight-man are reversed. 

In the dressing room, Mingyu waits to take off his stage makeup or idol costume. He’s showing a lot of skin in his ripped jeans, and the make-up artist, Xu Minghao, was dramatic with the eyeliner and eyeshadow. “Seungkwan,” Mingyu asks, “can we talk?”

Seungkwan pops out from behind the changing curtain still struggling to put his arms through his jacket. He looks wide-eyed at Mingyu. Mingyu rushes to help Seungkwan with his jacket. “Of course, ‘Gyu,” Seungkwan says, “what’s wrong?”

“Well,” Mingyu says. He looks away from Seungkwan’s face and catches sight of himself in the mirror. Mingyu straightens his posture and reminds himself that he looks good today. “Well, first off, I just don’t want what I’m about to say to mess us up on stage, you know,” Mingyu says, “since, we really work together so great, and our show has been really popular and good for both of us!” Mingyu is rambling, and he isn’t sure how to stop. 

“Of course,” Seungkwan says evenly, “I agree.” 

“Yes! You agree,” Mingyu says, “and a big part of that is you! You’re really funny, and charming! And, of course, um, attractive, too.” Mingyu can feel how bright red his ears and face are. Seungkwan is pale and silent. He stares at Mingyu with wide-eyes. “So, I’m sure you’re not surprised that I have a crush on you,” Mingyu rushes out, “will you go out with me?”

Seungkwan stares blankly at Mingyu for a moment before breaking into laughter and whirling around to collapse onto the couch. “You had me so freaked out, oh my god,” Seungkwan shouts.

“What,” Mingyu says. He turns his head to follow Seungkwan, but can’t move his feet. Maybe this is how Seungkwan rejects people. 

“That wasn’t funny, by the way,” Seungkwan says firmly. 

“What,” Mingyu asks, “uh, is that a ‘no’?”

Seungkwan makes a face at Mingyu. “I thought you were breaking up with me?” he says, “we’ve been dating since I asked you out after filming the pilot episode?” 

“We have been,” Mingyu says. His voice cracks.

Seungkwan blinks, and then grins wide. “You didn’t realize,” Seungkwan says, “That’s so. Well, embarrassing, but also I should have realized.” 

“Um, well,” Mingyu tries to say, “if we’re dating then do you want to get dinner together?” 

Seungkwan laughs as bright as the summer sun. “Of course! Always,” he says. 

**Author's Note:**

> Mingyu and Boo imply that vegan food is 1. inherently healthy and 2. inherently bad tasting. This is misleading; vegan food simply refers to ingredients, and any type of food may or may not be some healthy or bad-tasting. 
> 
> I hope you laughed!


End file.
